I don't want to get into the middle of an argument, so I will keep my opinion of bleach to myself (which is not difficult as I am allergic to it anyway), but I'm pretty sure that the picnic table in question has legs made of treated wood and the top/table part is untreated wood.

Rather that do all this stuff only to end up with a rotten-top table, why not replace the top of the table? Before adding the new wood, you can treat/seal/stain it as the table will not be used for picnic purposes but for plant storage and needs to be sealed against moisture.

Okay, that's all I have. Good luck.

You may be right, Greene. Only a close up human, not picture, view will be able to tell whether the top was treated or not. Also that view could tell whether the wood is indeed salvageable.

You could give it the ice-pick test...

Good idea. The icepick test would tell a lot.

http://reviews.lowes.com/0534/...

Only the legs are treated lumber; the top is 'food safe' and therefore made with untreated lumber.

Good work Green! I had a feeling that they would not do the top because I heard they treat it with arsenic.
I have picked at the 'growth in question' and it seems to be a surface thing. The wood is not rotted at all. It is solid, I have not idea why this fungus is picking on my poor table. LOL.
Here is brown spot under the fungus the length of a can opener. Then I banged the table with the sharp point and you can barely see where I hit it. My DH is scrubbing the table with a wire brush right now. Then I will spray the bleach. What % is the solution you use or should I go full strength?
It has been raining a lot all winter. I have no idea when the wood will be dry enough to paint but I will keep spraying it once a week till the wood has a chance to dry.

Okay now, I'm a little worried that my name appears in the above post and in the next paragraph you plan to use bleach.

Please, I do not use bleach. That's my personal choice due to an allergy.

But, I know from experience at work that ...pay attention...bleach does not kill mold or fungus . Nope. It does not kill it. There are other products you could use that will possibly kill what is growing in and on your unfinished wood, but all bleach will do is remove stains, temporarily slow the growth, and will ultimately weaken the wood itself.

Regular laundry bleach by itself and/or mixed with water will not even penetrate into the wood far enough to touch the stuff growing in there. To allow the bleach to travel you would need to add a surfactant - still and all you will not kill the stuff. Even industrial strength bleach can't kill mold/fungus on or in wood. You need a product that has antimicrobial and/or biocide ingredients; that will cost more than you paid for the table in the first place.

My advice is to remove and burn the wood on the top of the table; then replace the top with properly prepared wood if you intend to use the table as a place to store potted plants (wet environment). Or even better, replace the top with a framed metal grid/fencing to allow water to run off similar to what some greenhouses have as plant tables.

Use 3-4 parts water and 1 part bleach.

Easy, Greene, easy. This is not worth a heart attack. LOL

That's your opinion. I already gave my opinion. Thanks.

Oops! I already dumped it on full strength. Sorry Green! It's a little rainy here. I found a rotted spot on the other side but there was no fungus there. Amazing how fast it rotted. I was going to replace the one piece of wood but after looking at the table again, I realize I could use 8ft treated lumber and my table would be two feet longer and still work as a picnic table or a potting bench. I can stain and varnish like I did the bench or prime and paint with latex. I am liking the idea of a bigger table and it is shady there now. But for the time being the experiment will continue.

@Green, your name was used in a paragraph with arsenic! LOL.

Ah, arsenic is something to which I have no allergic reaction; used correctly it can be extremely useful.
Good for you making the table larger/longer. Great idea! Um, just don't paint the new wood Scheele’s green.

Girl you are so crazy! Thanks for advice, I think they used the cheapest wood they could find for that one. I might right a review for Lowe's Picnic Tables, LOL. Still it would have lasted a lot longer if I had painted it to begin with, but not Schelle's green!

Just a thought here, have you contacted Lowe's about this problem? They actually might come through for you, and it would be worth it to maybe get a whole new table, rather than slam them for selling the shoddy one. They'll go back to the manufacturer, and maybe solve the problem at the source, too.

Take a couple of prints of your fungus and the table top pictures to the Customer Service desk at Lowe's and see what they say?

I like that idea!

Since the table was used for an 'off-label' purpose, I doubt that asking for a refund/replacement would be honest.
The problem occurred because of the wet conditions caused by the plant pots. The table was designed to be used as an eating surface for outdoor meals, not as a plant table.

You don't think just being out in the rain and snow would have soaked the table top enough to stimulate the fungus to grow? I went to lowes.com and read some of the reviews. There were at least 3 reviews that said they had similar problems with lousy wood, just from leaving it out in the weather. One guy had his rot out and a seat break in half after 2 years and another lady in FL left hers out in the rain for 3 days after she brought it home, and said when she went out to paint it, the wood had mold growing on it already.

At the very least, Lowe's should know about the problem, and maybe supply a can of sealant. The manufacturer should put in the assembly instructions that they recommend sealing or painting the table top and seats.

It's never a bad idea to let a vendor know about a problem with their product. And sometimes reputable companies will make it right. But, then, I LOVE complaining! At the very least, you get to vent. And at the very best (kudos to Purina and several other companies) they will replace the product. And then there are the companies like my local bank, who totally ignore you.....

I think Lowe's is aware of the problem, that is probably why they were marked down to 25.00. LOL. This table was on clearance and there was no paper work. I did not realize a picnic table could be so much trouble! I just wish I had painted it like I wanted to, but certain people (DH) insisted it was treated. I am usually more responsible than this I should have looked it up and read the reviews, I usually do this before a purchase but am not in the habit of doing it after. I have decided to paint it red after I replace the wood, it will help to attract hummingbirds!!

I left a review but they do not always post mine. I don't know why.